Rangers in Yellowstone National Park have trapped and removed a black bear because its aggressive behavior posed a continuing threat to the safety of park visitors and employees.

On several occasions in the past two weeks, the brown colored sub-adult male black bear has aggressively approached visitors in the Beaver Lake Picnic Area and the Indian Creek Campground. The bear was able to obtain a significant amount of human food.

Based on the animal’s aggressive behavior, lack of fear of people, and its success at getting human food, the decision was made to capture and remove the bear.

Repeated efforts to trap the bear were unsuccessful. However, it was spotted walking next to a road Wednesday morning, allowing the animal to be successfully darted and captured by park staff members.

The bear was transported to park headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs and euthanized Thursday morning.

This is the first time Yellowstone National Park has euthanized a bear in over two years.

Park regulations require you to stay a hundred yards – the length of a football field – away from black and grizzly bears at all times. The best defense is to stay a safe distance from bears and use your binoculars, telescope, or telephoto lens to get a closer look.

If approached by a bear in a picnic area or campsite, you’re advised to gather up all your food and cooking utensils and get inside your vehicle or hard-sided pick-up camper, trailer or recreational vehicle. When not in use, food, garbage, barbecue grills and other attractants must be stored in hard-sided vehicles or bear-proof food storage boxes.

These actions help keep bears from becoming conditioned to human foods, and park visitors and their property safe.